Facing the Turtles

This week’s post is short. Now that the TMNT trailer was released, I have read as of late a lot of discussion, and how bad it is going to be and so on. Thus I think I should weigh in a bit on this.

As for the history: when I first heard about the production of a movie based on some of my favorite characters, I was excited. When I heard it was going to be directed by Michael Bay my mood lowered to a meh. Why not? I liked the first Transformers movie, so something similar to that could happen. When I heard he was going to make them aliens… well, I understood where that came from, but now I was weary of the idea.

When watching the trailer, I thought it looked good. Shredder is cool and although some object to Megan Fox representing April, I didn’t object. She is now part of the Bay entourage, after all, much like Johnny Depp in a Tim Burton movie. Adaptation has its details.

Now, the greater criticism goes to the faces. In all honesty I don’t like those. Even in the older movies, without special effects, the turtles looked much better with the classic snouts. Also, they look way too big. It is like a tank rolling not so silently. The turtles look impressive, no doubt, but originally they were a bit smaller than April. So yes, if they were not really ninja-like before, now they are even less.

And this brings me to the main point: the ninja part. I somehow got the feeling of many commentators that they wanted the turtles to behave like the traditional silent warrior-assassin. But those who return to the “source material”, up to the newer cartoons, will notice that oftentimes the heroes had to enter situations with all guns blazing. For example, int the original comic, when they travel to another planet, they maim and kill recklessly left and right. Yes, they did some ninja-stuff here and there, but at the end the confrontation with the momentary enemy ended up being a flashy display. I always felt the ninja part was just the excuse to have mutants fighting with martial arts on screen. In other words, I love the TMNT because of all these contradictions and absurdities that make a great, crazy story. A masterwork in pulp-fiction.

Will I watch the movie? No. I am just not motivated enough, as much as in Transformers 2 & 3. I just don’t think these kind of movies appeal to me.

Just a little post scriptum though: for those wondering that such “bad movies” keep being made, just check the earnings if those movies. No matter how supposedly bad they are, they still make great profit. As long as the public watches those things, no matter the quality, they will produce them. So, really consider if you want to watch the movie, even though you “know” it will be bad.

Welcome to a blog of gaming, movies, books and some history. In here I explore the stories that have carried us over decades, yes, even centuries, to what defines us today. I hope you enjoy it and comment, I am always open to respond!
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